Decorah School District voters invited to tour high school facilities

Seeing is believing. And that's the point the advocacy group, "2 From You," hopes to make with Decorah School District voters during tours of Decorah High School later this month.
"I think many people will be surprised to see some of the conditions in the high school.  I know I was," said Justin Gullekson, co-chair of 2 From You.
Gullekson added many of the needed improvements in the high school aren't obvious to occasional visitors.

"We usually don't go through the boiler room, the locker rooms, and into many of the classrooms," he said. "These tours can help our district residents make an informed decision about the upcoming election by seeing exactly what needs to be updated."

Gullekson pointed out the school's heating system is at the end of its life.
"A recent audit said the boiler that heats the high school won't live through another repair," he said. "If the boiler breaks down, the disruption to the school year will be significant, and an emergency fix will be more costly. A successful bond issue will allow the district to do a planned update, with an efficient heating and cooling system that will be less expensive and disruptive to the school year."

Additional points on the tour include crowded classrooms in the high school's east wing, exposed technology wiring, lack of storage, extensive water damage and unsafe conditions in the vocational technology classrooms.

"You need to see it to believe it," Gullekson said. "That's why we're scheduling the tours. We encourage our district residents to be informed voters. That's what the tours are all about."

Tours are scheduled for the following dates:

Friday, Aug. 27 from 5:30-7 p.m.;
Saturday, Aug. 28 from 9-11 a.m.;
Tuesday, Sept. 7 from 6-7 p.m.

Two From You

The voter advocacy group, "2 From You," has been formed to promote a successful outcome of the Sept. 14 election. The group was named because two votes will be presented for consideration. The first to renew the Physical Plant and Equipment Levy (PPEL), which earns $4.4 million yearly for the district's physical plant; and the second to support a bond referendum for $10 million to make necessary updates to the high school.

The group is co-chaired by Gullekson and Michelle Whitehill. Information on 2 From You can be found at www.2fromyou.org, and on Facebook: 2 From You -  Vote Yes September 14.